Feel great pain if volunteers who gave everything to build the party are ignored: AAP Punjab convener

AAP Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chotepur, who had expressed displeasure over tickets given to certain candidates for the Assembly polls next year, on Wednesday said he felt great pain if volunteers who gave everything to build the party are ignored.

However, AAP’s Punjab joint in-charge Jarnail Singh asserted that party workers expect from the convener that discipline be maintained and said he invited Chhotepur for a meeting with him.

“I feel great pain if party volunteers are ignored. I am saying this from the core of my heart,” Chhotepur said.

He had expressed displeasure over the choice of candidates in the first list of 19 names announced by AAP. He also has some “reservation” on some names in the second list of 13 candidates announced a few days ago.

“You give me any post or not but those who have worked for the party day and night for the last two-and-a-half years leaving their house should not be ignored,” Chhotepur said, adding, senior leaders should who is the right and wrong candidate.

“I must speak for the workers who are our strength. We do not have money and gundas (goons) like other parties. We have volunteers and I do not want our volunteers to be weakened,” he said.

Informing that he has been waiting for a call from Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to raise this issue, Chhotepur said, “He will call me when he gets time.”

On whether he is being sidelined by the party, Chhotepur said, “I am not being sidelined by people as they are with me. I have not received any indication of being sidelined.”

Claiming that he has no complaint with the party, the AAP leader said, “I can say whatever I have to say within the party as there is an internal democracy.”

When the first list of candidates was announced by AAP for the Punjab Assembly polls next year, Chhotepur said party workers had raised “strong objections” against two names and he would raise the matter with Kejriwal.

Yesterday, suspended AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi had claimed, “Leaders of Punjab are being sidelined in AAP as ‘subedars’ from Delhi are running the show. Leaders like Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Kanwar Sandhu are being humiliated.